The Irish standard., 1887-01-08
CHAPTER V.

| 'WhO puts a dCuDlet on & morse
Or on q man saddle
Or ciaps 81 stocking on his head
Sure that mans brains is addle!
Then let not man ungifted paddle
In streams Of sanctuary
Teach without knowIedge--basely neddle
With what their heads can't carry
-Cobbler of Preston.
Mrs. Spellacy hurried to admit the
company. The old Palatine first en-
tered and was closely followed by his
companion, the preacher, whose I'M
mense proportions darkened the door
way so completely as to leave little op-
portunity, for the moment Of observing
or acknowledging the courtesy with
which they were both received by the
good lady.
'sPeace he on this house!'' said the
preacher. "Woman, what. have you for
dinner?'
"Travelers I have brought you, Mrs
Spellacy," said the poor scholar. Then
apart to her. ''Tell Suil Dhuv I gev de
note to Miss BYrne's man."
Able Switzer's salutation was mute
nod. and a most extraordinary contortion
Of the face, which he would perhaps
have been surprised to hear, was more
like grin than smile.
''Come, come my Good woman, stir
yourself little, +" said the old Palantine;
''pet these gentlemen something to
amnse themselves with as they desire
and show me to room, where may lie
at full length for half an hour; my old
bones are aching with fatigue"
The woman glanced listlessly from
one to another OF the speakers, while
her thoughts we're evidently yet wander
ing after those who had just departed,
| and whose conversation, overheard as it
had been, contained matter of, to her,
a far more absorbing interest. The Pal
atine was obliged to repeat his request
for a separate chamber.
1.-The parlour is this way, sir,' she
replied, still abstraote6ly there's an
old bed in it, And having placed the
material Of q plain dinner ON the table
in s. manner so careless and absent, as
to draw down some very severe, though
silent reprehensions from her sectarian
guest, with respect to her total inapti-
tude for her calling-she conducted Mr..
Segur into the roon to which she had
pointed. The preacher, unwilling to
leave any portion Of his time unoccu-
pied, set himself, with a very commend
able industry to complete the dinner
arrangements-obsery1ng wittily, that
sstbe beet, for country beef, was very
passabIe" while Able went to look after
the horses: aud their thin-faced guide,
whose finances obliged him to wait the
summons of his superior, before he veu-
t1,red to incur the expense Of SO unus-
ual luxury as a good dinner, sat by
the fire, rubbing his hands, and direct
ing. during the intervals Of some snatch
es Of merry talk, a glance of intense in-
terest and admiration, towards the board
where the worthy preacher was signal
izing himself by display of really
extraordinary prowess-watching, as a
well-regulated house-dog mighe be ex-
pected to do, every mouthful Of provis~
ion that was sacrifced-following it with
his eyes from the dish to the plate--from
the plate to the fork--undergoing the
application Of mustard and
The delicious ablution in the
lake of rich gra7y-and subsequently IN
it's upward flight, until it disappeared
behind the ivory portcull1s of the hero
of the board-while the observers own
jaws opened and shut with an involun-
tary and sympathetic action-closiug,
however. like those of Shacabac upon
a vision of unsubstantial air.
"Where is de little master?" he at
length exclaimed, looking gaily about
him, as the lucky thought suggested it.
self-"Ha, are you dare, sir, are you?
High jockey! here SIR stretching out
his arms to /. fine, sturdy little boy, who
came growing and tottering from an in
ner room. ''Dere he was--dere he was
de tief! Come here now, ride cock
your foot upon my
toe-give me de hands-de two little fat
paws de war!-dat's it! Up we go.
Hoo-ee hoo-ee! heigh jockey-ho-ho-ho
ho-ho! Dat's it. Sit down here upon
my knee.-Catchee! Catchee! Catchee!
o de little tief he was-and the little fat
neck he had-and de two blue eyes, like
de moder-two beautiful eyes-Creep
mouse-creep mouse-O! ho-ho-ho-ho!
Come, where's de song? Come, now
stop de laugh, and give us de song
Come on-sing-don't be afeard o de
gentleman-open de little mouth and
sing
''My father died, don't know how;
He left me sixpense lust to guide de plough. |